Tesla targets June 12 launch for robotaxi service in Austin, Bloomberg News reports
May 28 (Reuters) - Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab is poised to begin its long-awaited robotaxi service in Austin on June 12, Bloomberg News reported, opens new tab on Wednesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The date has been discussed internally and could still change, the report added.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Earlier this month, CEO Elon Musk said the EV maker is set to begin a test of its long-promised robotaxi service on schedule in Austin, Texas, by the end of June.
A successful robotaxi trial is crucial for Tesla as Musk has shifted the company's focus away from building a new, cheaper EV platform to launching the robotaxi service and its Optimus humanoid robots. Much of Tesla's valuation hangs on that bet.
Tesla sales have fallen worldwide with rising competition and as Musk faces a backlash for his political views and his role as an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
20 minutes ago
- Reuters
Howmet needs to ramp engine parts production as jet output rises, CEO says
May 30 (Reuters) - Howmet Aerospace (HWM.N), opens new tab will need to produce more parts this year for engines used in Boeing and Airbus narrowbody jets, as the planemakers ramp up output and the need for spares grows, the parts supplier's CEO John Plant said on Friday. Plant's comments come a day after Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab expressed optimism about increasing the production of the best-selling 737 MAX jets to 42 a month. The move could benefit players such as Howmet, one of Boeing's biggest suppliers. However, supply chain challenges continue to weigh on the industry as Boeing and Airbus manufacture more jets, with no one particular bottleneck to blame. Howmet also expects demand for its fasteners to rise, with global inventory running low after a fire at an SPS Technologies factory in Pennsylvania in February destroyed an important source of capacity. "There's lots more to bid and we've got three customers already where we have production orders for as soon as we can make them," Plant said at a Bernstein conference. He also acknowledged a force majeure letter on tariffs sent to customers in April, which was first reported by Reuters. Plant said the letter helped get new agreements in place to cover exposure risk in case of an emergency.
The Guardian
20 minutes ago
- The Guardian
China has ‘totally violated' its trade agreement' with the US, says Trump
Donald Trump declared that China has 'totally violated its agreement' against the US on trade just two weeks after the countries reached a deal, raising fears that the trade war will continue to rattle the global economy. 'I made a FAST DEAL with China in order to save them from what I thought was going to be a very bad situation,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday morning. 'Everybody was happy! That is the good news!!! The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.' Trump's post follows comments from the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, on Fox News that trade talks with China 'are a bit stalled', though he said that there will be more discussions with Chinese officials in the coming weeks. The White House has not offered any specific details on what has stalled trade talks. US stock markets turned negative after the news. On Friday morning, the S&P was down 0.1% and Nasdaq was down 0.3%. It's been nearly four months since Trump first put a 10% tariff on all Chinese imports in February, the start of the trade dispute that would escalate in the spring. After raising rates to 20% in March, a full-out trade war began with Trump imposing 145% tariffs on China, and China placing 125% tariffs on American goods in response. A truce was announced on 12 May, with Trump decreasing tariffs to 30% and China reducing US tariffs down to 10%. The White House called the deal 'historic' and said it 'set a path for future discussions to open market access for American exports'. But Trump's post on Friday points to the continued instability amid the president's trade war, which has shaken markets around the world for weeks. Investors appeared somewhat relieved by news late on Wednesday that a panel of judges on the US international court of trade blocked a bulk of Trump's broad tariffs, including country-specific import duties such as ones placed on China. But within 24 hours, a federal appeals court paused the ruling, allowing Trump's tariffs to stay in place. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion It's unclear what impact the legal whiplash will have on Trump's trade negotiations with foreign counterparts. The trade court had agreed with groups that sued the White House and argued the president was improperly using federal trade law to implement tariffs, and that Trump should be required to get Congress's approval for his broader tariffs.
Telegraph
20 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Elon Musk ‘took drugs during presidential campaign'
Elon Musk's consumption of ketamine led him to develop bladder problems around the same time he endorsed Donald Trump, according to people close to him. Mr Musk, 53, the world's richest man, went on to become a central figure in the Trump White House, leading an initiative to slash spending and shrink the federal workforce. He has spoken openly about his drug use, saying that he took 'a small amount' of ketamine, about once a fortnight, as a prescribed treatment for black moods. Hours before he was due to appear in the Oval Office beside Mr Trump for a farewell news conference on Friday, The New York Times quoted multiple sources saying his drug use went much further. He was using ketamine on an almost daily basis and mixing it with other narcotics, according to people familiar with his consumption. He also took ecstasy and magic mushrooms, they said, blurring the line between medical and recreational use in a way that worried his friends. They described how he travelled with a daily pill box, holding about 20 tablets, including ones that resembled the stimulant Adderall. 'Elon has pushed the boundaries of his bad behaviour more and more,' said Philip Low, a neuroscientist and former friend of Mr Musk's who spoke out against him after a 'Nazi-like' salute at a rally. The report said it was unclear whether his drug use had followed him into the White House. But the bizarre salute was just one element of his unusual behaviour as he moved to the centre of power. He publicly insulted cabinet members, garbled answers in an interview, and lost his train of thought during Oval Office appearances in front of the camera. At the same time, he has been the subject of frenzied headlines about his complicated family life, with a growing number of children with multiple women. He announced on Wednesday that he was leaving his role in government to return to his businesses. Mr Musk and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment. But he has in the past discussed his drug use, explaining how he had been prescribed ketamine for depression. 'I really don't like doing illegal drugs,' he told his biographer. SpaceX, his aerospace company, is a major government contractor and is required to keep drugs out of the workplace. However, people close to the business claimed that Mr Musk had been given advance warning of supposedly random tests. Board members at his electric car company Tesla also raised concerns about his use of drugs, according to The Wall Street Journal. Mr Musk played down any impact on his work. He told the reporter Don Lemon last year that he used 'a small amount' of ketamine. 'If you've used too much ketamine, you can't really get work done, and I have a lot of work,' he said. Mr Musk threw himself into politics last summer, endorsing Mr Trump after the Republican candidate survived an assassination attempt. They appeared together on stage in October, when Mr Musk bounded on to the stage, leaping in the air. The two quickly formed a close working relationship. After the election, Mr Musk even lived in a cottage on the Mar-a-Lago estate, helping build the administration and fleshing out his plans for a tech-led effort to slash the federal bureaucracy. Former friends began to raise concerns about his behaviour. Sam Harris, a public intellectual, published a newsletter accusing him of using his social media platform to promote lies. 'There is something seriously wrong with his moral compass, if not his perception of reality,' he wrote. Stephen Miller, a key Trump aide, shrugged off concerns about Mr Musk's alleged drug use. 'The drugs that we're concerned about are the drugs running across the southern border,' he said when asked about the reports. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of ketamine only for medical procedures although doctors with a special licence are allowed to prescribe it for some medical procedures. But its dangers were highlighted by the death of actor Matthew Perry in 2013.
